Paediatricians launch a made-in-Canada approach to autism care

Detection, diagnosis, and follow-up care for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) should be collaborative and family-centred. That’s the message in a new collection of guidance documents from the Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) that outlines a made-in-Canada approach to caring for children with ASD.

Identifying ASD early is critical to ensuring that children and families receive the supports they need, when they need them. The CPS describes signs of ASD beginning at six months of age and emphasizes that physicians should screen during standard developmental surveillance.

“All Canadian children should be monitored for early signs of ASD as part of developmental monitoring when they go for their regular medical check-ups,” said Dr. Lonnie Zwaigenbaum, Chair of the CPS Autism Spectrum Disorders Task Force.

ASD varies both in how it presents in individual children, and long-term needs, complicating patient assessment. Canada’s geography and variations in service structures across the country make standardized patient assessment and care even more challenging.

The CPS outlines three approaches to assessing and diagnosing ASD, and provides guidance to community clinicians on recognizing co-occurring conditions that should be referred to specialists.

“In making these recommendations, we’re really tapping into the strengths of the paediatric community as a whole, forming partnerships, and letting paediatricians take the lead,” said Dr. Zwaigenbaum, Director of Autism Research at the University of Alberta and Stollery Science Lab Distinguished Researcher. “This is the best approach to address the geographic and demographic challenges that Canada presents.”

The new documents:

• Provide recommendations to help primary care providers monitor for the earliest signs of ASD;
• Offer strategies to best support families through the assessment process;
• Aim to reduce barriers to obtaining a timely diagnosis;
• Advise clinicians to consider medication only when non-pharmacological strategies have been implemented, and always in conjunction with behavioural interventions;
• Instruct clinicians to ask parents and caregivers about their own physical and mental health needs, provide appropriate care and referrals as needed.

Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social communication, restricted interests, and repetitive patterns of behaviour, as well as unusual sensory sensitivities or interests. Currently, the estimated prevalence of ASD is 1 in 66 Canadians aged 5-17 years.

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About the Canadian Paediatric Society

The Canadian Paediatric Society is a national advocacy association that promotes the health needs of children and youth. Founded in 1922, the CPS represents more than 3,300 paediatricians, paediatric subspecialists and other child health professionals across Canada.